Chris Gayle smashed his second successive half-century and spinner Sunil Narine claimed 4-12 as the West Indies romped to a 61-run victory over New Zealand to win 2-0 in the Twenty20 series in Florida.
Gayle’s 53 off 39 balls set up the Caribbean side’s formidable total of 177-5 off 20 overs at Central Broward Regional Park. Johnson Charles (36) and Dwayne Bravo (35 not out) provided valuable support.
Off-spinner Nathan McCullum took 2-19 from three overs.
Photo: AFP
New Zealand’s run chase never reached the required impetus, with no batsman managing to pass 22 as they were bowled out for 116 off 18.4 overs.
There were two wickets apiece for Bravo (2-23) and Marlon Samuels (2-25).
The West Indies, after winning the toss, made a frenetic start, with Dwayne Smith cracking two sixes in the first over, before he fell for 13 to paceman Doug Bracewell’s first delivery, top-edging a pull for a return catch, but Gayle, after a slow start, and Charles soon set a strong platform in their busy partnership.
Charles fell to make it 86-2 in the 12th over, pulling Rob Nicol to short fine-leg.
McCullum eventually claimed Gayle, who was bowled swinging across the line, and Lendl Simmons, caught at deep square-leg, in the same over as the Caribbean side slipped to 124-4 after 16 overs, but Bravo hit out toward the end, even though captain Darren Sammy fell for 13 off Tim Southee.
New Zealand had an encouraging start as openers Martin Guptill and Rob Nicol added 26 for the first wicket, but the innings never recovered once Narine removed them in successive deliveries in the fifth over.
Guptill, who hit 18 off 18 balls, sliced to backward-point, while Nicol played across the line and was stumped. Kane Williamson, stand-in captain for the injured Ross Taylor, was run out for 6 as the tourists slumped to 33-3.
When Narine bowled Dean Brownlie for 1, the Black Caps were wobbling at 43-5.
Left-hander Daniel Flynn top-scored with 22, before he was sixth out to off-spinner Marlon Samuels. Narine then returned to remove Andrew Ellis, who holed out to Bravo at deep mid-wicket.
Bravo finished things off by taking the final two wickets.
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